The present invention relates generally to electronic gaming machines, and more particularly to a system and method for playing video poker in a session with a series of hands.
Electronic gaming machines (“EGMs”) are extremely popular with casino patrons for playing slot games and video poker games. Over the years, video poker games have become extremely popular and provide players with a high level of entertainment. In some forms, video poker implements the use of multi-hands, thereby connecting play of hands through different techniques. Multi-hand play challenges a player to employ optimum play strategy to maximize the number of wins and the value of the wins over multiple hands.
One common feature of video poker games, including multi-hand games, is that each separate poker hand is played from an individual deck with 52 cards. This means that it is difficult for the player to predict with a high probability what cards of those remaining in the deck will be dealt in the initial hand or on the draw. In a typical video poker game, a player is initially dealt five cards. The player can replace any number of the five dealt cards up to and including all five cards. That means that the probability of predicting the draw cards is no better than five out of 47 and that assumes that all five cards dealt on the initial deal are discarded. The probability drops to four in 47, three in 47, two in 47 or one in 47 depending on the number of cards held before the draw. Experienced poker players understand the probabilities and the pay tables associated with their favorite games and seek to employ optimal strategies for obtaining a low frequency, high pay for a hand like a royal flush or four-of-a-kind, or alternatively, a high frequency, low pay for a hand like two face cards.
Accordingly, there is a need for video poker systems and games that provide players with higher predictability of final hands and greater excitement throughout the playing experience. There is also a need to encourage players to play more often or for longer periods while giving the player the opportunity for paybacks that happen with greater frequency or in higher amounts. Further, there is a need for systems and methods that give players the chance to employ a variety of play strategies to make the experience more fun and exciting. These and other features of the system and method disclosed herein will become more readily apparent from the following description.